Pay vs Place

Leeds vs Waverley: buying or renting a home

A typical terraced house costs £217,500 (107%) more in Waverley than in Leeds. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Waverley: it takes 8.4× median annual pay, against 5.5× in Leeds.

Leeds, terraced
£202,500
Income typically needed: £40,500
Median full-time pay: £36,716
Waverley, terraced
£420,000
Income typically needed: £84,000
Median full-time pay: £49,769

At a glance

Leeds Waverley
Buying a home Fairly affordable Expensive
Renting a home Expensive Expensive
Recorded crime Above average Low

Buying rates the typical price of all homes against median pay; renting rates a year of average rent against median pay; crime rates recorded crime per resident against the England and Wales average.

What the numbers say

Median full-time pay in Waverley (£49,769) is 36% higher than in Leeds (£36,716), while a typical terraced house costs 107% more (£420,000 against £202,500). Set against local pay, Leeds is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.

Buying a terraced house takes 5.5× annual pay in Leeds and 8.4× in Waverley. Renting one takes 38% of pay in Leeds and 34% in Waverley. The two measures point different ways: buying is harder in Waverley, but renting takes a bigger share of pay in Leeds.

Across all property types and measured against pay, Leeds is the 114th least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Waverley is the 35th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Leeds is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas and Waverley is around the middle of 316 areas (128th most expensive).

Someone on £40,000 in Leeds would need about £83,000 in Waverley to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £48,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Waverley would leave you worse placed to buy. These figures compare housing costs only; they ignore other living costs and the pay you could earn in a new job.

Police recorded 114.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in Leeds and 37.5 in Waverley, so recorded crime per resident is 67% lower in Waverley. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 7.0 per 1,000 in Leeds against 1.8 in Waverley.

Can a typical earner buy?

Terraced house Leeds Waverley
Median full-time pay £36,716 £49,769
House price ÷ pay 5.5× 8.4×
Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy 91% 59%
Rent a year as a share of median pay 38% 34%

Buying, by property type

Type Leeds Waverley Difference
Detached £430,000 £825,000 +92% in Waverley
Semi-detached £262,000 £550,000 +110% in Waverley
Terraced £202,500 £420,000 +107% in Waverley
Flat £150,000 £270,500 +80% in Waverley

Renting, by property type

Type (average rent a month) Leeds Waverley Difference
Detached £1,507 £2,128 +41% in Waverley
Semi-detached £1,226 £1,553 +27% in Waverley
Terraced £1,157 £1,407 +22% in Waverley
Flat £905 £1,194 +32% in Waverley

Crime

Police recorded 114.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in Leeds and 37.5 in Waverley, so recorded crime per resident is 67% lower in Waverley.

Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents Leeds Waverley Difference
All recorded crime (excluding fraud) 114.6 37.5 -67% in Waverley
Violence against the person 44.9 14.9 -67% in Waverley
Sexual offences 4.4 1.4 -68% in Waverley
Robbery 2.2 0.2 -90% in Waverley
Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) 13.0 4.3 -66% in Waverley
Vehicle offences 7.0 1.8 -75% in Waverley
Theft from the person 1.3 0.2 -84% in Waverley
Criminal damage and arson 8.5 3.5 -59% in Waverley

Rates use resident population, so city centres and student areas show higher crime per resident than residents experience. Recorded crime also depends on reporting and police recording practice.

How prices have changed in each area

Average house price for all property types, indexed so that 2005 is 100. A line at 200 means prices have doubled.

Leeds: 181Waverley: 200
House prices in Leeds and Waverley since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Waverley now 200.5010015020025020052010201520202025House prices in Leeds and Waverley since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Waverley now 200.5010015020025020102020
Show the figures
YearLeedsWaverley
2005100100
2006107108
2007114121
2008110119
200998106
2010103121
2011101122
201299125
2013100129
2014106140
2015111153
2016119164
2017125168
2018130172
2019134168
2020139174
2021151180
2022165197
2023168195
2024171193
2025177201
12 months to July 2026181200

In 2005 the average home cost £135,425 in Leeds and £278,992 in Waverley. Now it is £244,464 and £557,629: Leeds is up 81% and Waverley is up 100%. Prices have risen faster in Waverley, so the gap between the two has widened.

Buying a home against local pay, over time

Average house price divided by median full-time pay. Higher means harder to afford.

Leeds: 6.5 years of payWaverley: 11.3 years of pay
Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and WaverleyLeeds now 6.5, Waverley now 11.3 years of pay.0×5×10×15×20052010201520202025Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and WaverleyLeeds now 6.5, Waverley now 11.3 years of pay.0×5×10×15×20052010201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsWaverley
20056.1 years of pay9.2 years of pay
20105.7 years of pay9.2 years of pay
20155.7 years of pay11.3 years of pay
20206.2 years of pay11.8 years of pay
20256.5 years of pay11.3 years of pay

In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Leeds and 9.2 years in Waverley. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 11.3 years.

Affordability has worsened more in Waverley over that time.

How rents have changed in each area

Average monthly rent for all property types, indexed so that 2015 is 100.

Leeds: 151Waverley: 136
Rents in Leeds and Waverley since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Waverley now 136.80100120140160201620182020202220242026Rents in Leeds and Waverley since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Waverley now 136.80100120140160201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsWaverley
2015100100
201698106
2017102109
2018104108
2019107109
2020112109
2021114110
2022125116
2023136122
2024145129
2025146138
August 2026151136

In 2015 the average rent was £758 a month in Leeds and £1,071 in Waverley. Now it is £1,145 and £1,459: up 51% in Leeds and up 36% in Waverley. Rents have risen faster in Leeds.

What your salary is worth in each area

Salary needed to afford the same kind of home (terraced), going by median prices and average rents.

Moving from Leeds to Waverley

Earning in Leeds Equivalent to buy in Waverley Equivalent to rent in Waverley
£30,000 £62,000 £36,500
£40,000 £83,000 £48,500
£50,000 £103,500 £61,000
£60,000 £124,500 £73,000

Moving from Waverley to Leeds

Earning in Waverley Equivalent to buy in Leeds Equivalent to rent in Leeds
£30,000 £14,500 £24,500
£40,000 £19,500 £33,000
£50,000 £24,000 £41,000
£60,000 £29,000 £49,500
Prices are medians for each property type over the last 12 months of registered sales; types with fewer than 100 sales in either area are left out. Rents are ONS averages for the area. Pay is the median for full-time employees living in the area, before tax. Income needed is illustrative: it assumes a 10% deposit and a lender willing to lend 4.5 times income. Real lending depends on your circumstances. Salary equivalents compare housing costs only, not other living costs, tax or the pay you could earn in a new job.

All Leeds figures · All Waverley figures